On the opening day of the Pro Wrestling League, the Revanta Mumbai Garuda defeated the CDR Punjab Royals 5-2 to kick off their campaign in fine fashion. Both Adeline Gray and Odunayo Adekuoroye won by wide margins, something that was to become a regular feature in the coming days. Speaking to the press after that match, Mahavir Prasad, the team advisor had said, “We are already preparing for the final. We know we are already strong enough to get past the league stage. There is absolutely no doubt about that.”
Fifteen days later, his stand has been thoroughly vindicated as the Garuda have stormed to victory in each and every fixture with some dominating displays and clinched a berth in the final after vanquishing the Bengaluru Yodhas in the semis. They have been a cut above the rest throughout the league phase, especially skipper Adeline Gray, who has been unbeaten and unmatched. This can be seen by the fact that her smallest margin of victory was in a 7-1 win over Geetika Jakhar of the Haryana Hammers!
The semifinal too was mostly a one-sided affair as the Yodhas could only win two out of the seven bouts. Like the past matches, it was the women contingent of the Garuda that made the telling difference as all three – Adeline Gray, Odunayo Adekuoroye and Ritu Phogat, recorded emphatic victories to push their team to the final. While the two foreign grapplers won by technical fall, Phogat came back from 4-0 down in the first round to win by pinfall.
After the semifinal fixture, a smiling Mahavir Prasad addressed the media and praised his side for the stunning victory. He said that he was satisfied with the performances of the wrestlers and the fact that despite Sakshi Malik being blocked, the Garuda had no problems putting the match to bed.
Prasad said that the job was not yet done and that all focus was now on Sunday, as his team will face either the Punjab Royals or the Haryana Hammers in the final. He stated that the team will not be resting on its laurels on the deciding day and will give its all to win the coveted Pro Wrestling League title. Given the claim he made after the first game, he did say that it would have been embarrassing if his side were to lose in the semis, but he clarified that he had known since after the auction that his team is the strongest in the competition and will win the crown if they manage to avoid being complacent.
When asked who he would prefer facing in the final, Prasad replied with zeal and confidence that for his team, it does not matter whether the opposition is Punjab or Haryana. He said that both teams are strong contenders, but his side is ready for either and should manage to win in the final, given the fact that the Garuda had defeated both in the league stages.
Last but not the least, he expressed his delight at Ritu Phogat’s spectacular victory and how she did not give up hope despite being outplayed in the first round. Ritu, who was also present at the press conference, said that Prasad told her to stick to her guns and be more solid in attack, which did the trick for the Garuda grappler!
